Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-03-03
UNCLE DICK
Takes the Second Degree and
Becomes Strong AdvO-
cate of Prohibition.


Mr.. EpIyoR:--
/ always was in favor Of Prohibit
tian, hat am now in favor of il more
than ever. have sworn off several
times, hat am going To make sure
thing of it this time and hencefor-
ward don't intend to touch, taste or
handle the uuclean thing, rs it al
ways gets me into some kind Of a
snap. | went down to the Corners
the other night and there met ali old
fliend with II jug, which he said con-
tanned some real old genuine Wild
Cat, and as he pressed me So hard to
take drink, and as | always was
partial to that particular brand, l
thought would take just one little
drink, and no more, but when raised
the Jug to my mouth, was seized
with u rigid contraction Of the mus
cles OF my arms which prevented me
from taking the jug away from my
mouth, and my friend had to move it
by main strength. The result was l
imbibed more of the elixir than | III
tended TO and became, to nse mild
phrase, highly elated; and this, ss /
afterwards learned, was just what the
boys desired. 1t WAS all well laid
plot TO get me into the Wheeler lodge
for the purpose of putting me through
the second degree, which had sworn
never to take. After ! had several
times inspected the contents of the
jug and each time being seized with
that same contraction of the muscles
of the arms, which peculiar physio-
logical phenomena | am unable to
explain, some of the boys remarked
that they were going to a meeting Of
The Young Mems Christian Associa-
tion. and insisted that | should ga
with them. was just full enough to
consent to almost anything and away
we went and in short time reached
the building where it was said the
meeting was to be held. but no lights
in it could be seen. One OF the boys
remarked that we were rather early
and suggested that we should go in
and strike light, and taking Inc by
The hand, we CROPPED our way up the
stairs inlo what he said was the meet
ing room; here | WIS told to remain
quiet until they hunted up the lamps
and then my guides left me. BY this
time | had sobered up little and
began to think something was wrong.
hut what IL wa | could NOT imagine.
In few moments, a food of light
rom dozen lamps shOne forth, and
| saw at ouce that | had been iil-
posed upon, in other words that
had been sold. Here was in the
Wheeler lodge; there were the m'm-
bers seated around, and as usual, all
wearing masks; there was the Great
Mogul in his customary place, with
his wheel gavel in hand ready for
business, with mask over his face
which looked like u cross between the
face Of an alligator and that of rhi-
nocelos When / saw where l was,
started for the door remarking that
was going home. 6 Not yetawhile"
said the Great Mogul, and then he
commanded, Guards do your duty"
AT this command | was surrounded
by about dOz N Of the members,
aimed with long wooden pixies with
iron prods in one end, and near the
other eud with the pike stuck through
the hub, was small wheel, which
presume was intended for use, the
same as the hand guard on sabre
| made another rush for the door,
but The guards began prodding Int
with their pixies, and l soon Quoted
down and begged for mercy. | was
hen marched up in front of the
Great Mogul and lie spoke as follows:
'rhe brother has presented himself
for the purpose of being initiated in
to the second degree OF our noble or
der" It's all mistake, yelled, /
was brought here through fraud and
Misrepresentation and don't want to
take the second degree "SiIence,"
he replied, "let the business proceed,
and We will open the ceremonies by
singing the second verse of the Reg
ulation Ode" They sang as follows:
am bound to be Wheeler,
A Wheeler live and die,
am fond Of hog and hominy,
And also chicken pie.
Come join our noble order
We tillers Of the soil,
II you wish to save your bacon,
And cause the pot to boil.
"Now' said the Great Mogul,
"place The brother in the Aunea!ing
Sack ami pass him through the
Tempering Tube into the Annealing
Chamber" At this command | was
grabbed by the guards and forced
into coarse and strong tow sack,
the mouth of which was then tied up
light, leaving only small hole
through which managed to see and
breathe. | was then shouldcred by
one of the guards and carried to u
platform near the ceiling of the room
and deposited near the mouth Of the
Temperance Tube which was u
structure square in shape, something
IN the priaciple OF smoke stack
with an aperture large enough TOR u
man t" slide through, anu which cx-
tended from near the ceiling Of the
upper room to that of the one below.
AfCer little more ceremony, / was
chucked head foremost into the tube
and down l went. / landed on some
thing soiL and getting peep
through the hole in the sack. l saw
that | had landed on large blanket
held a few feet above the floor, by